Future Mass Rapid Transit in Dhaka City: Options, Issues and Realities

Abstract

Transport is the life of a city and choices on public transit options are fundamental decisions about a city's future growth and development. An efficient transportation system increases accessibility and improves quality of life. In terms of maintaining a transit-friendly city form and ensuring the urban poor have access to work, the selection of an appropriate Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system is a crucial factor to secure long term advances - or at least to stabilize the share of people traveling by public rather than private transport. Though Dhaka is one of the least motorized cities in the world, its traffic congestion is the most common phenomenon in our everyday life. This paper reviews the recent mass transit planning initiatives in developing countries and analyzes the alternative choices of each of the main MRT options for Dhaka City and identifies the issues and realities of such initiatives under Dhaka's present geo-political and socioeconomic contexts.

Keywords: Mass rapid transit, traffic congestion, developing cities, public transport, city sustainability

JEL Classification: R40, R41, R42